A Prickle Of A Pet

True Companion Or Expensive Novelty? Hedgehog Joins Dog, Cat Ranks.

Some animal specialists insist the shy, prickly animals can make fine household companions. Others say the attraction is pure novelty.

At least two pet stores in Broward County and one in West Palm Beach sell the animals for $100 to $300 each.

"It seems to be the pet in vogue," Lt. Tom Quinn of the state Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission said. "They were fairly nonexistent in the pet trade until about three years ago."

The hedgehog is a nocturnal, insect-eating animal native to parts of Africa, Europe and Asia. They are now bred in the United States for pets.

Ranging in length from about 5 inches to 9 inches, the animal is a handful - a gloved handful. The animal is covered with spines that stiffen when it feels threatened. The spines are sharp enough to prick or even break human flesh, leading caretakers at the Wildlife Care Center in Fort Lauderdale to wear gloves when they handle them.

Pet store representatives say the animal can relax its spines somewhat when accustomed to its owner.

"It's a novelty thing," said Pete Bloch, manager of Crazy About Pets in Fort Lauderdale. "It's really just like having an expensive hamster."

Jorja Guerra, owner of Pet Country in Lauderhill, said hedgehogs make interesting pets. "These happen to be really cute."

Ron Dupont of the Reptile Store in West Palm Beach agreed.

"They have such a cute little face and an unusual spiny body," he said. "After you have them for a little while they get to be very friendly."

That worries animal protection groups. They have seen what happened to other exotic pets, such as Vietnamese potbellied pigs.

The Wildlife Care Center has taken in about 20 unwanted or stray pigs in the past year, center officials said. The center has a hedgehog that was turned in by someone who said it was left anonymously on a patio in Tamarac.

"These are not domesticated types of animals. They belong in the wild," said Janet Hornreich, spokeswoman for the Humane Society of the United States. "I think if you want something, I think a cactus would be just as active during the day," said veterinarian Deb Anderson at the care center.

Dr. Gene Bailey, president of the Broward County Veterinary Medical Association, also said he would discourage acquiring hedgehogs as pets.

"I think in general exotic pets are less interactive and less predictable than domestic animals," he said.

The game commission requires hedgehog owners to get a permit. It is free. The hedgehog owner also must follow specific caging standards to comply with the law. Releasing them, Quinn said, is illegal.

For more information about state requirements for hedgehog owners, call 1-407-640-6100.